Arc weld studs are commonly used in many industries to facilitate the attachment of various structures. For example, arc weld studs are widely used in the automobile industry for fastening a member (e.g. dashboards, fastening elements, etc.) to sheet metal, such as the sheet metal of the body of a motor vehicle, with a threaded metal stud that is fastened to the structural part in short-time arc welding. A threaded nut, such as a lock nut, may be screwed onto the stud, by which the member is fastened to the structural part. Arc studs are also frequently used to fasten elements of the interior fittings of a vehicle to the vehicle body.
The threaded stud is welded onto a metal sheet of the body in so-called short-time arc welding. Short-time arc welding is also known as stud welding, in which a metal threaded stud is placed on the sheet metal of the body. A pilot current is then turned on and the metal stud is slightly lifted off from the sheet metal of the body. At the same time, an arc is drawn. Then a welding current is turned on, so that the facing surfaces of metal stud and body sheet metal are fused. The metal stud is then again lowered onto the sheet metal of the body, so that the melts combine. The welding current is turned off and the whole fused mass solidifies. A member may then be fastened to the stud, such as by a threaded lock nut.
Frequently, hundreds of such studs are used per vehicle. Therefore, a need exists to provide an arc weld stud that facilitates speedy and cost effective fastening.